


When Love Isn’t Enough

by pritchtt



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Carlos Rodriguez - Freeform, Kind of a vent fanfic, M/M, Mentions of Non-Binary Carlos, Non-binary Seb, Original Characters - Freeform, Seb Matthew-Smith - Freeform, Slight talk of homophobia, This is a bit all over the place, sad hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pritchtt/pseuds/pritchtt
Summary: “Sometimes ... sometimes Seb, love isn’t enough.” Carlos sighed, finally looking up to meet their own eyes with Seb’s.
Relationships: Seb Matthew-Smith/Carlos Rodriguez
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	When Love Isn’t Enough

**Author's Note:**

> TW //: slight talk of homophobia / not being accepted 
> 
> So, I wrote a fic on Seb and Carlos’s family lives, but only some sad things, I imagine about them. It isn’t very much seblos-centered of them together.

With a family as large as the Matthew-Smiths, making plans with one of the children could serve as a nightmare. Trying to maneuver around each kids schedule to have a day with one of the ten, was a challenge that often ended in the children loosing friends - or not even being invited, after the fifth failed plan in a row. 

Levi and Elena Matthew-Smith considered themselves as family-oriented individuals - loving, and supporting their kids every way they can. With endless support, comes endless recitals, matches or games to attend. When one of their children has something for their activity, they decided the whole crew would attend — making the children of the Matthew-Smiths have no time to themselves, and definitely not for their friends.

Carlos Rodriguez would learn this the hard way, as the plans he often tried to set forward with the middle child of the Matthew-Smith kids were vetoed, four times out of five. With plans set for that Saturday, being the day after Valentine’s Day, Carlos was ecstatic. It was the first plans his partners family had agreed to since New Year’s Day.

Deciding to use the day granted to him, for the first time in a bit over a month, Carlos wanted to make it special for his love. He planned for more than a simple hangout, especially since it was the day past Valentine’s, and his depth of love reached farther than a few gifts he planned for the day of Valentine’s Day. Having a week of preparation, Carlos planned to surprise his partner with a small picnic date.

Sebastian Matthew-Smith often felt like an animal trapped in a cage. Restricted, and alone, left merely but in the dark coldness of his room. The only light of day he ever got to see was school, or a meet or recital of one of siblings. Currently he sat in the audience of his younger sister - Layla’s - gymnastics meet. Dozing off as he thought how much he would much rather be with Carlos right now, then watching young children flip around.

With the Spring show still a bit away, Seb could only pray for the passing time between the two shows to go by quicker. He missed the days after school with their friends - and boyfriend - it was the one time he truly felt like a teenager. For all he could remember, everything was decided for Seb; their clothes, the movies they watched, the places they went on weekend or after school. Within the timeframe of the show, Seb felt like he had a say in their life, they weren’t living by the time-schedule of their family.

All good things come to an end, Seb reminded themselves as the play drew to an end. Their life now back to depending on the schedule of their family, instead of what they preferred; which was spending their free time with Carlos. That served as a challenge as when he did have an after-school-afternoon free, their boyfriend had a colorguard practice they had to attend as the captain. In these times, Seb would smile disappointedly at him while telling him ‘it was okay’, and reassuring the younger he was proud of his work in colorguard.

Carlos constantly felt like he trapped himself in-between walls of exhaustion and stress. Ashlyn Caswell; his closest friend, constantly tried to warn her friend to let himself rest. Carlos never took his friends advice, pushing himself harder each colorguard practice; or staying up late to fix the flaws in his choreography. Carlos was a perfectionist, and when it came to setting up a surprise for his lover, sleep wasn’t in his agenda. 

The Rodriguez family was the opposite of the Matthew-Smiths, the love was buried under layers of tension. Carlos’s parents divorced when he was five, he remembered coming home from kindergarten; a drawing of his family in hand to be forgotten at the bus-stop. Still smiling, the young boy started to run home, soon weighed down by the pound of water as the sky turned gray, water falling in painful pellets. 

“Mama? Papa?” The young boy called out, shivering as a ruined drawing was clutched to his chest. He would learn quickly, this version of the drawing was more accurate; as the arguing of his parents drained out the silence of his siblings at after-school actives. 

Now, Carlos had two families who lived in a constant battle of hate. From his own parents, he was the youngest child of four, having two older brothers, and the eldest being his sister. Before being born, Carlos hit strike one as his parents wished for a second daughter, not a third son. Strike two, was when he came out as gay. It wasn’t that his parents weren’t supportive, they just wished Carlos was more like his elder brothers; football players. Carlos was glad he never told anyone, that he thought he was more uncomfortable with they/them pronouns then he/him. 

They couldn’t face that horror-stricken coldness from their parents, for another round. The more time Carlos spent with Seb, the more he realized how much he found more comfort in feminine activities. Now Carlos never had their nails without a layer of nail-polish, and they had started to learn how to do designs. Their eyelids often had a coat of glittery eye-shadow, and the bits of make-up Seb’s sisters had given them, laid in their draw underneath their socks. 

Carlos planned to tell Seb, but part of them felt afraid the blonde would think they were trying to copy them. They knew Seb would never think that, but would support them and help them become comfortable again. In the depths of night, when their mind controlled them, the only way they thought it could end was Seb telling them how they were invalid, and breaking up with them. Once they gained control over their thoughts, Carlos would laugh at themself, feeling ashamed to even travel down that mind-set. 

The week passed by slowly, and each boy felt with every passing day they saw their significant other less; but neither ever spoke up. In the beginning they had after-school group rehearsals to look forward to where they could steal moments. Now, they had a rushed cheek kiss near their lockers as Carlos rushed to color-guard practice. Neither boy ever spoke up on how they felt, on the thoughts that ran through their heads. Sometimes it became easy to fake, what was your reality. 

At the first sight of that Saturday, Carlos jumped out of bed in anticipation. The day they had been counting down for since the week prior was among them. Carlos knew they were on rocky terms, never having a second to speak, but he planned the whole day out. They’d have the whole day to talk, to catch up, to rebuild the interior of their love that was destroyed. Carlos was in love with Seb, and to them, that was all that mattered. 

Everything came crashing down at the bing of their phone - Carlos expecting to just see a good morning text, or a meme from Red or Ricky, found their heart break in their chest. ‘I’m sorry love, my family needs me. I need to cancel, but we can reschedule! <3’ read the message. All Carlos could do was stare at their phone. the message illuminating on the lens of their glasses. Carlos knew this was it, the unfaithful end, and suddenly they didn’t believe in love anymore. 

School approached quicker than usual, which Carlos guessed was because they dreaded it. The thought of seeing Seb again, caused an unusual knot to twist in their stomach. The usual non-caring, sarcastic exterior that covered their feelings was down that day. Carlos couldn’t put it up, everything was in the open that day - and for once, they couldn’t seem to care. 

“Los’ are you alright, love?” Rang the distant voice of the blonde farm boy, it took a second for the words to register in Carlos’s mind. While Seb was only an arms-length away, they had never felt so far. Carlos let the silence bubble up between them, unable to bring himself to make eye-contact; dropping it as soon as they did. 

“I- I think we should .. break up.” Carlos spoke softly, their arms wrapping around themselves out of habit. This time, Carlos wasn’t sure if wrapping their arms around themselves was out of comfort, or out of protection.

“Carlos, I know we haven’t gotten to hang out in a while. I’m really sorry, you know how my family is. I didn’t want to cancel! I love you, we can make it through this!” Seb tried to reason, tears welling up in their own eyes as the words of their boyfriend broke their heart. 

“Sometimes ... sometimes Seb, love isn’t enough.” Carlos sighed, finally looking up to meet their own eyes with Seb’s. Wincing as they knew, the pain in the tear-filled blue eyes across from them, was their fault. With that, Carlos walked away, their heart heavy in their chest.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first try at writing a fanfic, cause roleplay hasn’t been working out. I really hope it’s alright, and i’ll probably end up writing more at some point. This was kind of a vent writing.


End file.
